The Story: From the time that they first met as young magicians on the rise, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) were competitors. However, their friendly competition evolves into a bitter rivalry, making them fierce enemies-for-life and consequently jeopardizing the lives of everyone around them.

The Good: I enjoyed the nonlinear style, which fit well with a storyline full of trickery and mystery. The acting is solid throughout, as Jackman and Bale are great leads. The supporting cast, lead by Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, and Andy Serkis, is very good as well. All the technical aspects are top notch, making it one of the best looking movies of the year. I also give it props for surprising me a few times, particularly with the second big twist at the end.

The Bad: The character's motivations never appeared to fully justify their actions. Of course, the Nolans could have been trying to say that revenge is, in its very nature, childish and senseless. The characters could also have used a little more development.

The Verdict: My minor complaints aside, The Prestige is one of my favorite films of the year. It proves to be another worthy effort from Christopher Nolan, my second favorite director, who still has yet to make a bad movie. Highly recommended.